Float operated circuit closer



Dec. 2, 1947. A. E. 'SHELDON l 2,432,045

FLOAT OPERATED CIRCUIT CLOSER F'led July 12, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet l za d46 A 2?71. n

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Dec. 2, 1947. A, E, sHELDoN FLOAT OPERATED CIRCUIT cLosER Filed July 12,1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ALLA N ESHELDON Patented Dec. 2, 1947 UNITEDSTATES PATENT @ENCE FLOAT OPERATED CIRCUIT CLOSER Allan E. Sheldon,Yakima, Wash.

Application July 12, 1946, Serial No. 683,002

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to a float operated circuit closer and has forits primary object to close a circuit and signal an approaching trainshould the right of way or track become inundated.

Another object is to close an electrical .circuit through a signalingsystem when water rises along the right of way beyond a predeterminedpoint.

The above and other objects may be attained by employing this inventionwhich embodies among its features a oat actuated lever, a latch adaptedto be released by the lever when the float attains a predeterminedheight, a spring pressed closure normally restrained against movementunder the inuence of the spring by the latch, a pair of stationarycontacts and a bridging contact carried by the lever and adapted to bemoved into engagement with the stationary contacts when the latch hasbeen released by a float.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a plan view of a portion of a railroad track showing myimproved circuit closer mounted on a cross tie thereof,

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional View through the circuit closer,

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the circuit closer showing the coverremoved,

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially along theline 4-4 of Figure 2,

Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially along theline 5-5 of Figure 2,

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the push rod and bridging contact.

Figure 7 is a perspective View of the plunger and latch carried thereby,and

Figure 8 is a fragmentary side View of a modied form of bridgingcontact.

Referring to the drawings in detail a railroad track designatedgenerally I is laid along a rignt of way and comprises the conventionalrails II supported on conventional cross ties I2. One of the cross tiesI3 is provided with an extension I4 upon which my improved circuitcloser designated generally I is mounted. The circuit closer I5 abovereferred to comprises a substantially rectangular box-like case having abase plate il, side and end walls I8 and I9 respectively and a removablecover 20. One of the end walls I9 is pierced to receive spacedinsulating bushings 2l in which spaced contacts 22 are supported andfrom which lead suitable conductors 23 connected to any suitablesignaling system (not shown).

Supported on the bottom wall I'I of the casing I5 is a pedestal 24 theupper end of which is pierced with a transverse opening for thereception of a pivot pin 25. A standard 25 projects upwardly from thebase 2li in spaced parallel relation` to the pedestal 2d and carries atits upper end a guide sleeve 2l the purpose of which will more fullyhereinafter be explained. The bore through the guide sleeve 27 extendsperpendicular to the axis of the pivot pin 25 so that the push rodcarrying the bridging contact will move longitudinaly of the device.

Supported on suitable studs 28 which rise upwardly from the base I'lbetween the pedestal 24 and the standard 26 is a horizontally disposedguide plate 29 formed with an axial opening 3D in which a plunger rod 3|is mounted to slide. The lower end of the plunger rod is provided with ahead 32, and mounted between the underside of the head 32 and the upperside of the base I'I between the supports 28 is a compression coilspring 33 which yieldingly urges the head 32 and plunger 3l upwardly.Secured to the extreme upper end of the plunger 3l is a latch plate 34carrying at the end nearest the standard 26 a latch-dog 35 the purposeof which will be more fully hereinafter explained.

Pivotally mounted on the pivot 25 in the upper end of the pedestal 24 isa lever 35, one end of which carries a float 31 which normally rests onthe bottom or base plate Il as illustrated in Figure 2. The end of thelever 35 opposite the oat 31 is provided with a pressure linger 38 whichoverlies the upper surface of the latch plate 34 adjacent the endopposite that carrying the latchdog 35.

Mounted for longitudinal sliding movement in the bore of the sleeve 2lis a push rod 39 carrying at one end a keeper 40 for engagement behindthe latch-dog 35, and carried at the opposite end of the push rod 39 isa bridging contact 4I which under certain circumstances to be more fullyhereinafterdescribed engages the contacts 22 to establish electricalcommunication between the two. A compression coil spring 43 surroundsthe push rod 39 between the bridging Contact and the sleeve 21 so asnormally to urge the bridging contact into engagement with the contacts22 to close the signaling circuit.

In the modification illustrated in Figure 8 I have shown a bridgingcontact which is adapted to be mounted on the end of the push rod 39 inplace of the contact 4I and this bridging contact comprises a base plate44 carrying on the face which faces the stationary contact a strip ofinsulating material 45 to which in turn, is attached adjacent oppositeends spaced conductor plates 46 each of which is provided adjacentopposite ends with a pad for engagement with a pair of stationarycontacts carried by the end wall of the casing, when it is desired tocontrol two separate signaling circuits. It will be understood ofcourse, that the stationary contacts carried by the end wall of thecasing are insulated therefrom in an approved manner, and are connectedthrough suitable means to their respective signaling circuits.

In use, it will be understood that the unit I5 is attached to theextension I4 'of across tie -I3 of the railroad track as illustrated inFigure l at a point where inundation is likely to take place. Shouldwater rise above the level of the-cross ties I2 and I3 it will enter thecasing through passages 41 formed in the bottom wall I1 and risingwithin the casing, will cause thelf'loat 3I to move upwardly so as torock the lever 36 and move'the finger 38 into contact with the latchplate 34, to depress the latter against the compression of the spring33. Depression of the latch plate will cause the latch-dog 35 to beretracted from its position in-engagement'with the keeper `plateM) ofthe push rod 39 so as to -allow the rod v39 and bridging contact 4I toadvance under the influence of the spring 43 and move thebridgingcontact 4I into engagement-with the stationary contacts 22, thus closinga signaling circuit so that a train approaching the Vinundated -portionof the track'inay have advance warning ofthe condition. Should it be sodesired, the 'entire unit maybe enclosed in a fence (Fig. `1) which willprotect it from injury by bodies oating in surrounding water.

While inthe foregoing there has been shown and described the preferredembodiment of `this invention `it is to be understood that vminorchanges in the details of construction, combination and arrangement ofparts vmay 'be resorted to without departing from the spirit vvand scopeof the invention as claimed.

I claim as my invention:

A float operated circuit closing unit adapted to be mounted adjacent theright of way of a rail road for closing a signalling circuit when theright of way is inundated, which includes a base plate adapted to bemounted on a cross tie, a. pedestal rising from the base plate, a leverrockably supported at the upper end of the pedestal, a float carried byone end of the lever and normally resting `on the base plate, a guideplate supportedin spaced parallel relation'to the base .plate near theend of the lever opposite the float, a'plunger operable through theguide plate along ianlaxis perpendicular to the base plate, a head atthe upper end of the plunger adapted to bear lagainst"theunderside ofthe lever adjacent the end iopposite `the float, a latch-dog projectingupwardly from the head, a standard rising from the base :plate in spacedparallel relation to the pedestal, a sleeve carried by the upper end ofthe standard with its axis parallel to the lplane of the base plate, faiplunger rod slidable through the sleeve, a'headon'the plunger rodadapted toen gage behind the latch-zdog when the plungerrod.isretrac`ted, a vspring urging the plunger to move against 'therestraint yof the vlatch-dog, Aa Wall 'at 'the I'end lof :the base 4nearthe `standard, spacedfcontacts carried'by the wall anda bridging:Contact carriedby the plunger rodopposite the `headand adapted tobridge the spaced contacts lwhen vthelplunger rod is movedundertheinuence of theispring.

ALLAN E. SHELDON.

REFERENCES CIT-ED YThe "following references are of record in the fileyof this patent:

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